Hypothetical
by dietcokechic
Summary: Jack has issues, Sam has hypotheticals. Season 8/early 9 tale that takes place post Threads.
1. Chapter 1

**Related Episodes:** All you really need to know is that this takes place after season 8's Threads episode. There might be bits of other late season 8 or early season 9 in here, but they'll be minor.

 **Notes:** Unlike my last story that is a WIP (sorry!), this one is more or less complete and I should be able to post the whole thing in a week or two. It was never my intention to write something new, but this plot bunny kinda snuck up on me and I just had to write it. I _think_ it's a bit different from other post Threads stories out there...but you tell me! - Shameless plug for feedback. g Thank you to my lovely Beta, Flatkatsi for her suggestions and edits.

I am only borrowing these wonderful characters. Jack, Sam and all things Stargate-related belong to MGM/Gekko. I write for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

Jack O'Neill sat down wearily on the bar stool and raised his finger to catch Mick, the bartender's eye. On a day like today, he felt every one of his fifty *cough* years.

"Rough day?" Mick asked, setting a pint of Guinness in front of Jack. He didn't see the colonel every day, or even every week, but over the past 5 years, the colonel had come in enough that Mick knew who he was and what he did for a living. Sort of.

Absently, Mick corrected himself. Jack was a general now, wasn't he?

"Definitely," Jack replied with a heavy sigh. He idly picked at the bowl of peanuts by his side, lost in his own conflicted thoughts.

"More trouble with your team?" More often than not, the general – Jack – came by when someone on his team was missing or injured. Mick admired the fact that Jack recognized that it was probably for the best not to drink in worry alone.

"Actually, not this time…" Jack began, before stopping himself, as he remembered that Daniel was missing _again._ "Wait, I mean yes. There is Daniel's current lack of being _here_ …" Jack shook his head as if the notion of Daniel's ascension was starting to seem _normal._

"Again?" Mick asked, raising an eyebrow. Jack shrugged.

"Yeah, well, that guy could get into trouble crossing a public sidewalk on National Safety Day," Jack groused. "But oddly enough, I'm honestly not really worried about him. I think he'll get home just fine. Eventually."

"Well that's something, right?" He'd heard about Daniel's death or disappearance at least twice now.

"Yeah," Jack said, not sounding particularly mollified. He took a large swig of beer.

"So… want to talk about it? Mick really didn't expect an answer, but as a bartender, it was kinda his obligation to ask.

"Nahh," Jack replied. As much as he appreciated Mick's company, he really didn't want to try and explain how hard it had hit him to lose Jacob. Not to mention his rather awkward breakup with Kerry.

And then there was the big honkin' elephant in the room, Samantha Carter. Jack chuckled morosely as he considered his last thought. Comparing Carter to an elephant was wrong on so many levels.

Seeing the Colonel looking rather lost, Mick reached under the bar and pulled out a bottle of Bushmills Black whiskey. He poured Jack a healthy shot and passed it over.

"You look like you could use this," Mick said with a supportive smile. "Let me know if I can get you anything to eat later, okay?"

Jack nodded. "Thanks, Mick."

Jack sighed and wondered, not for the first time, how the hell his life could get so incredibly complicated. He was just not a complicated guy. He took a sip of the Bushmills and let a little of the tension leave his body.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

Sam was exhausted. Emotionally and physically.

The death of her Dad had hit her hard, but oddly enough, she was at peace with his passing. It still completely sucked and she wished like hell Selmak hadn't been so old, but she knew that her Dad had done some pretty amazing things these past five years and was so damn grateful she had had a chance to get to know him again. To have him get to know _her._ He had been proud of her. She knew that. And that made the pain of his passing just the smallest bit better.

"Can I get you a drink?" Sam turned towards the voice, startled that someone had snuck up on her unawares. She frowned for a moment, taking in the man's wool 'v' neck sweater, pressed slacks, and fragrant cologne. Crap.

"No, thank you," Sam replied coolly, but politely. She turned away from the interloper, trying to catch the eye of the bartender.

"You sure?" the man tried again. "It definitely looks like you could use a drink." He gave her a bright smile. Sam sighed and glanced his way. He wasn't a bad looking fellow. Around her age, she guessed. Office worker, judging by his hands. Nice enough looking if you were into 6' guys with green eyes and wavy brown hair.

"Really not looking for company," Sam replied. A drink yes. Company? God, no. She glanced again towards the end of the bar. Clearly, there was a bartender, but he was busy schmoozing with other folks.

"Ah, come on," he cajoled, sitting down. "A beautiful woman like you shouldn't sit by herself in a stuffy bar."

Sam sighed audibly. Seriously? Could this day _possibly_ get any worse?

"Look," she said, pivoting in her seat so she faced him completely. "My Dad died last night, I broke up with my fiancé this afternoon and I have a funeral to plan. I _really_ don't want or need your company right now." The man's eyes went wide as he took in her words.

"Whoa, that's rough," he said nodding his head in sympathetic understanding. They sat in awkward silence for several long seconds. Sam turned back towards the front of the bar. Where the _hell_ was that bartender?!

"Seems to me," the man continued helpfully, "like you could use a friend."

"Seriously?!" Sam said loudly enough to turn a few heads. She pivoted in her stool and stood, pointing a finger in his face. "I told you my Dad _died,_ that I _broke up_ with my fiancé, and you are _still_ hitting on me?! What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

Jack wasn't so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the bar around him. He smiled slightly as he watched a young 20-something couple fumble around awkwardly on an early date. He wondered if he had ever been that young.

He also noticed the 4 college guys by the pool table, trying (unsuccessfully) to pick up some rather classy looking ladies. He rolled his eyes. ' _Best stick with women your own age, kids'._ Jack frowned. Yeah, right. He seriously should take his own advice.

At the far end of the bar he could see a guy talking rather animatedly to a woman that apparently had no interest what so ever in him. Jack couldn't see anything more than a pale blue sweater and some glimpses of blonde hair, but the way she turned her back on him was a dead give-away.

Without warning, the woman stood up and Jack felt his stomach lurch in recognition as he witnessed his Lt. Colonel shouting at the poor bastard trying to pick her up. Knowing that Carter could totally handle herself, but wanting to offer moral support, Jack decided to take a stroll to the other end of the bar.

"Evening, Carter," Jack drawled. "Making friends, I see?" The poor bastard hitting on her turned around to stare at the unwanted visitor.

Sam was momentarily rendered speechless. She was 15 miles outside Colorado Springs city limits. She purposefully chose this place because it was far enough away from Cheyenne Mountain that she wouldn't be likely to run into anyone she knew. How the hell could Jack O'Neill be here?

"The lady is with me," Poor Bastard declared, taking a step towards Jack.

"Oh, for the love of…" Sam began, shaking her head.

"Really?" Jack asked, arching a single eyebrow that would have made Teal'c proud. "So you must know she's engaged, right?" Behind Poor Bastard, Jack noticed how Carter slumped her shoulders and ducked her head.

"Ha!" I know her better than you!" he declared. "She broke up with that guy!" Jack felt all the air leave his lungs. His eyes immediately found Sam's.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

"Not really sure," Poor Bastard admitted. Jack rolled his eyes.

"Not talking to you, moron," Jack shot back, as he side-stepped around the man in order to get closer to Sam.

"Hey!" Poor Bastard was not happy.

Looking straight at Sam, Jack rolled his eyes.

"For the record," Jack stated, "I definitely don't think this guy qualifies as 'lunatic fringe', Carter. Sam couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. "May I?" Jack asked. Of course Sam knew what he was asking. If there was one thing General Jack O'Neill and Lt. Colonel Sam Carter were good at, it was silent, but effective communication.

"Normally, I'd say no," Sam replied tiredly. "But I've had a particularly shitty 24 hours, and really just want him to go away." She also kinda wanted to see Jack O'Neill defend her honor. How messed up was that?

Jack gave Sam a small nod and then turned to face the poor schmuck who was messing with his Major.

"Listen, Dick…" Jack began. Poor Bastard frowned.

"It's Grant." Jack shrugged and tried to look as unapologetic as possible.

"Listen, Grant," he began again. "My friend here has had a really rotten day. And that followed a pretty crazy couple of months. Actually, now that I think about it, she's had some pretty eventful last 7 years, but I'm rambling now…" Holding her hand across her mouth, Sam tried not to smile.

"Listen, Bub…" Grant tried, feeling braver than was probably warranted, but come on! The guy was like _old,_ and wearing khakis!

"It's General," Jack interrupted, standing up a little straighter and giving Grant a particularly steely-eyed stare. "General Jack O'Neill. Air Force.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Grant shot back peevishly. It actually _did_ sort of impress him, but he wasn't going to let the General know that.

"Usually doesn't," Jack said with a shrug. "Until folks get to know me, that is." He then grinned. "I'll have you know I'm a hated and feared man in many far-flung locales." He paused and considered his next words. "We're talking seriously out of the way lands with…er… evil dictators and thousands of…" _What was a sanitized was of saying Jaffa?_ "Minions."

"I wouldn't say _feared,_ Sir…" Sam interrupted.

"Yeah, she's right," Jack agreed with a shrug. "But I am hated. I mean _really_ hated. By a whole lot of really bad folks."

"He really is," Sam chimed in, enjoying the General's explanation.

Grant was confused. Who were these crazy people? All he wanted was to have a drink, and possibly a one night stand, with a pretty lady.

"Ah, screw this," Grant said finally, throwing some bills on the bar and walking away.

"Nicely done, Sir." Jack shrugged and took a seat next to her.

"Don't tell Daniel that I can be diplomatic."

"I don't think that was diplomacy, Sir." Jack tried to look offended, but ended up chuckling.

"No, I suppose not."

"Well that was entertaining!" Jack looked away from Sam as Mick pushed Jack's beer down the bar. He then walked over and set down the tumbler full of whiskey.

"You saw that, huh?"

"General, half the bar saw that!" Mick grinned. Waaay more entertaining than a bar fight. Less damage, too.

"So what can I get for you, ma'am?" Mick asked, turning away from Jack and focusing his attention on the lovely woman by his side. It did not escape his notice that Jack knew this woman. Apparently quite well.

Sam eyed Jack's drink. "I'll have what he's having."

"Guinness?"

"Nope, the whiskey. Make mine a double please. Neat." Mick raised his eyebrows slightly at the request. Usually women ordered wine. Or vodka. Clear stuff, with fruity overtures. Not this lady. He liked her.

"Mick, this is Carter.. I mean Sam." Mick's eyebrows shot all the way up this time. _She_ was Major Carter? Wow. Jack had mentioned once that she was a looker, but he hadn't really given any details.

"Sam, this is Mick. He's the bartender."

"I can see that," Sam said with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mick."

"You too, Sam," Mick replied warmly. "I'll have your drink up in a jiff." As Mick walked away, Jack pushed his tumbler towards Sam.

"If you need something sooner…" Jack began. Sam smiled. Again. She sure was smiling a lot for someone who was supposed to be wallowing in grief.

"I can wait, Sir, but thank you."

They sat in comfortable silence while Mick poured her drink. Sam lifted the glass and inhaled the rich aroma before taking a small sip. She sighed contentedly.

"I know, good right?"

"Very much so."

They lapsed again into silence. The sounds of pool playing and pick up lines rolled over them as they enjoyed one another's presence.

"So how'd you find this place?" Jack asked, deciding to ease into the conversation. Although he desperately wanted to hear what happened between her and Shanahan, even an idiot such as himself knew it would be a mistake to lead with that.

"Years ago, Janet told me about it," Sam said with a sad smile as she remembered their fallen friend. "The date didn't end so well, but she really liked the ambiance." Sam paused as she looked around. "It's comfortable."

"That it is." Jack paused as he too remembered Dr. Janet Frasier. Silently he raised his glass. Sam did the same and they drank. Eventually, Jack continued his story.

"I discovered the bar by accident shortly after returning from…" he paused, considering his words. "...that place with all the sand." Sam nodded in understanding. "I liked how it was a bit away from everything, ya know?"

"That's why I'm here, too."

"Yeah, speaking of that, Carter…" Jack began. "Didn't you kick Teal'c and I out of your house a couple of hours ago saying you wanted a warm bath and bed?" Sam looked a little guilty. She picked up her drink and swirled it around a few times.

"The phone kept ringing," Sam said finally.

"Huh?"

"I kept getting phone calls," Sam explained. "First it was my Great Aunt Betty, and then my cousin Louise, then…" Sam took a deep breath. "Then came my brother."

"I thought you called your brother yesterday." As in immediately after her Dad died.

"I did," Sam admitted. "He wasn't calling to talk about Dad."

"Shanahan?" Jack asked. Sam nodded. She looked down at her drink again and frowned. Had she drunk it all already?

Jack had very conflicted feelings about taking this conversation any further. On one hand, he wanted to know what the hell happened. On the other hand, he wasn't supposed to care what the hell happened. Hell, he wasn't supposed to care.

Before Jack could figure out how to move the conversation forward, Mick appeared with another drink for both Jack and Sam, along with a plate of nachos and a couple of waters. Jack smiled his thanks.

"How about you?" Sam asked, not quite ready to talk about Pete. "What brings you out to this fine establishment?"

"Me?" Jack said, taking a cheese-laden chip and putting it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, taking the time to consider his next words. Making a decision that might come back and bite him in the ass, he decided to go with honesty.

"I was kinda feeling sorry for myself and thought a couple drinks at Mick's might make me feel better."

"Sorry for yourself, Sir? Sam asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Well, there is Daniel and his whole missingness…" Jack began.

"That's not your fault, Sir and you know it," Sam answered sharply. Sometimes she was so damn sick of Jack trying to take the blame for everything!

 _Shit. Did she just call the General 'Jack' in her head?_

"Then there's your Dad," Jack continued, not noticing Sam's temporary discomfort. "I mean, I know his death didn't have anything to do with either of us, but it still sucked." Not for the first time, Jack really wished he was better with words. "I liked your Dad, Carter," Jack said. "A whole hell of a lot."

"To Dad," Sam said, raising her glass.

"To Dad," Jack agreed. They both emptied their glasses.

Mysteriously, full ones appeared moments later.

"And then there's Kerry…" Jack stopped, as if realizing that he probably shouldn't have said that.

"Kerry, Sir?" Sam sat up straighter and did her damndest not to be affected by the woman's name. Sam's discomfort did not go unnoticed, although for the life of him, Jack couldn't figure out why.

"She broke up with me." Sam blinked. Kerry broke up with _him._

"Can I ask why, Sir?" The moment the words were out of her mouth, Sam realized she shouldn't have asked.

"I'm sorry Sir, that was highly inappropriate, and I…"

Jack had heard enough. He decided it was time to tell her why.

"Sam." With a single word, he silenced her completely.

Sam's mouth snapped shut. She could count on one hand the number of times he had called her Sam. At least after 1999. Their first year of course, he used it frequently… Sam's mind began to wander. Idly, she wondered if she was on her second or third drink.

"Sam," Jack said again, softer this time, as he tried to bring her focus back to him.

Feeling herself flush, Sam turned towards Jack, suddenly feeling very anxious as to what he was going to say.

Recognizing that Sam was listening now, Jack started to speak.

"Kerry broke up with me because she felt like I had issues." Sam had no idea what Jack (or Kerry) was talking about.

"Issues, Sir?"

Jack sighed. There was just not going to be an easy way to say it. Still, truth sets you free, right?

"Kerry hinted that my 'issues' had to do with you."


	2. Chapter 2

Note: Rating change to teen due to language.

* * *

 _"_ _Kerry hinted that my 'issues' had to do with you."_

"Me?" Sam squeaked. Before she could sort out what she _should_ say next, she blurted out, "Why would she think that?"

Now it was Jack's turn to be surprised. Carter might be inquisitive as hell on the science stuff, but emotional things? Hell, no. He remembered the rather awkward conversation they shared shortly after Shanahan gave her a ring. Awkward was an understatement. Jack swirled the amber liquid around his glass and thought about how he should answer her question.

"Do you really want to know?" Jack asked softly, looking up from his drink. They were definitely walking a fine line here.

Sam blinked. Not literally, but figuratively, as she stumbled to pull them back off the proverbial ledge.

"I mean," Sam began, as she felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment, "only if it's something I should be made aware of, Sir?"

 _Really? She was going to go all 'Sir' on him?_

"Really, Sam? Sir?" Sam's eyes went impossibly wide. Not only was Jack liberally using her first name, but now he was mocking their military ranks?

As much as Jack liked the splash of color across Sam's face and neck, he could also tell that she was acutely uncomfortable. In the last 24 hours, she had lost her father _and_ her fiancé, to say Sam was emotionally fragile right now was an understatement. Jack felt the need to dial things back.

"Look, Carter," he began again. "We don't have to talk about this now..."

"Oh no you don't!" Sam bristled, pointing a finger at him. "After two drinks..."

Jack held up three fingers.

"Three drinks," Sam smoothly corrected, "we're going to talk about this."

"This?" Jack repeated.

"Yes, this." Sam suddenly felt incredibly brave. She looked at her drink, wondering if the blame was on the whisky or just the fact that enough was enough and she just wanted to know. Which might be a really bad mistake, but one she was prepared to make. Do? Sam closed her eyes briefly and let out a soft sigh. Sure, she was frequently the smartest person in the room when it came to intellectual pursuits, but emotional ones? Hell, no. When it came to discussing her feelings, she was god-damned neophyte.

Jack picked up his whiskey and took a large sip as he eyed Sam critically. Was she _really_ ready for this? Was he?

After a few moments that felt like hours, Jack began. "Carter, I have been told, mostly by Daniel and Teal'c, that I kind of have a… _thing_ for you."

 _Jack has a_ thing _for me?_

"I mean, not an inappropriate thing, obviously, but every now and then I guess it's kinda visible. The guys, well mostly Daniel, kinda bug me about it every now and then."

 _The guys bug him about it?_ As much as Sam really wanted to move on to Kerry, she really wanted to know _how_ Daniel bugged Jack. She surprised herself by asking the question aloud.

"How so?"

Jack was unprepared for her boldness. It was bad enough that he was trying to explain the whole Kerry thing, but now she wanted to know more?

"Shit, Sam," Jack said in an exasperated voice. "Really?"

Sam's heart raced, but she kept her reply cool. "Yep."

Sam tried not to enjoy just how much she really liked hearing her name on Jack's lips. Shit. She was calling him Jack again in her head, wasn't she?

"Just remember, you asked." Sam just smiled sweetly and motioned for him to continue.

"Apparently," Jack began, "I mean, occasionally.." Jack didn't really know what to say. There were a million different ways he showed his affection for her. Where to begin?

Sam was really enjoying this whole awkward Jack thing. It was just not something she saw everyday. She found it incredibly sweet. And yeah, kinda hot. Sam mentally slapped herself. No. Not hot.

 _Liar._

 _"_ Occasionally..." Sam repeated, feeling the need to say something, if only to shut up the voice inside of her head.

"Occasionally, I check out your ass," Jack said finally. Sam smiled.

"Big deal. I check out yours too." Both of Jack's eyebrows shot up so fast he wondered if he pulled a muscle.

"You do?"

"Sure," Sam replied nonchalantly. In the early days of SG-1, she had frequently eyed all of the derrieres of her teammates, not that she was going to share that with Jack. And it was _his_ she most enjoyed looking at.

"But I also worry about you," Jack continued. "I mean, way more than I probably should." A slate of memories flashed by: Kidnapped. Super soldier. Replicators. Nirrti. Prometheus (both times).

"I worry about you, too," Sam shared quietly. X-301 failure. Nearly dying from an ancient virus. Baal. Trapped off world (both times).

They sat in silence for a few moments, each gathering their own thoughts.

"Anyhow," Jack said finally, feeling the need to speak. "Every now and then I guess there's something on my face that shows a feeling or two for you. Daniel sees it and mocks me." Jack paused, remembering how at first Daniel did indeed make fun of him. It was a light-hearted banter. Harmless. Later, after Daniel realized how much Jack really cared for Sam, he was angry at Jack, shouting at him to 'do something'. And Jack had to explain military rules and regulations and it didn't make either of them happy. When Shanahan came into the picture, he had to endure Daniel's pity. And then anger. And then pity again.

"So Daniel mocks you about this 'thing'?"

"Among other things."

"And Kerry?"

"Well, I guess she kinda noticed something on that day you dropped by."

"Kerry noticed 'a thing'."

"Yep." Jack took another drink of his nearly flat Guinness and wondered if the conversation would end here. They had locked their feelings in that proverbial room years ago, and although things had indeed changed, they still were limited in what they could do.

In how they could act. And if they really started to walk down that line now, things were going to change mighty fast.

Sam seemed to reach that conclusion too as she exhaled audibly and gave Jack a reassuring smile that Jack returned. They sat in silence once more, only this time it wasn't quite as awkward.

Mick came by a minute later to check on them and immediately noticed that the light-hearted bantering was gone. Both the general and Sam were still seated side by side, but quietly. Deep in thought. Mick would bet his paycheck the thoughts were of the other. Before he could say anything, there was a crash from the kitchen.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Mick griped, as he wiped his hands on a clean dish towel and headed towards the noise.

Sam laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I swear, Sir," Sam said with a smile, "that catch phrase of yours is probably making the rounds in at least three galaxies by now."

"I have a catch-phrase?" Jack asked with obvious merriment. "Cool!" Sam rolled her eyes. Jack grinned.

"You have one too, you know," Jack countered.

"I do?"

"Yep." Jack gave her shoulder a playful nudge. "But I think you might have gotten it from your Dad," he admitted. "I heard Jacob say it once or twice too."

Sam wrinkled her brow in concentration as she tried to think of what it could be. Jack saw the moment she figured it out. Sam's face always lit up when she solved a puzzle. Jack loved that about her.

Liked that about her.

"Holy Hannah!" Sam exclaimed.

"Got it in one." Jack grinned.

For the next half an hour, the pair talked about other catch phrases heard on base and where they might have come from. Soon they were laughing with one another, the earlier awkwardness fading away. Mick was quite pleased when he returned to see the nachos completed gone and the two Air Force officers in an animated conversation.

"Can I get you one more?" he asked.

"I really shouldn't…" Sam began. She wasn't _drunk,_ but she certainly was tipsy. Lord knows she needed a good night's sleep before she faced the morning.

"Ah come on Carter," Jack cajoled, not wanting the evening to end. "Just one more. If we leave our keys with Mick, he will drive them over to the secure part of the lot as he locks up. We can take taxis home, and I can borrow my neighbor's car to come and get you in the morning." Jack was inordinately pleased with himself that at no point in that rather long monologue, was there even an _inkling_ that Sam was going to go home with him.

"Why do you have the keys to your neighbor's car?"

"Kind of a long story, but it involves a family of four, college visits and not wanting to pay the inordinate fees charged by airports for overnight parking. My truck couldn't fit all of them, so they left their SUV with me. I'm going to pick them up from the airport next Tuesday."

That seemed to make sense, except… "What if there's an emergency, Sir? I mean, as you know, we have some awfully strange things happen on base…" Jack smiled and Sam grinned back.

"Worst case scenario, I have an airman pick them up. After all, there should be some perks from being 'The Man', right?"

Sam agreed, and just like that they ordered another round.

* * *

A/N: I am so glad you are enjoying the story! Thank you all so much for your fantastic reviews. And a big thank you to DeniseM for pointing out a missed Major reference in the previous chapter. Mick, the bartender can refer to her as 'major' (Jack might not have updated him on her promotion), but all other references needed to be Lt. Colonel. All fixed. ?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** I'm going to put this up here, as you're going to be grinning (or cursing my name) at the end of this chapter. Ahem. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! You've gotta let me know if this chapter worked for you, okay? Now that said, I have to tell you two things: 1) there will be two additional chapters in this story and 2) I won't be able to post chapter 4 until next week. Sorry! I'm heading out of town and won't have access to a laptop for at least 5 days. I'll be writing chapter 4 long-hand. Ooo. Old school! Hang in there, it'll come. Shippers rejoice. This chapter is for you!

* * *

Jack and Sam continued their easy conversation for several minutes, before lapsing into another comfortable silence, with Sam idly swirling her glass in geocentric circles, deep in thought. She looked at Jack with an expression he had never seen before. Jack returned her gaze with open curiosity. Something was obviously on Sam's mind. Jack mentally shrugged. He was content to simply sit and enjoy her company, happy that the earlier...tension was gone. Well, mostly gone.

"I have a hypothetical question for you," Sam said suddenly, startling Jack out of his thoughts. It did not go unnoticed that his favorite Lt. Colonel hadn't added 'General' or 'Sir' at the end of that sentence.

"And it _is_ a hypothetical," Sam stressed before Jack could say anything. "You don't have to answer." If Sam's lack of military salutation hadn't gotten his attention before, the emphasis on _hypothetical_ certainly did.

"So, I _don't_ have to answer this hypothetical question of yours," Jack repeated with one of his patented half smiles. Carter confused him frequently, but never in a manner quite like this.

"Correct," Sam answered with a firm nod.

"Lay it on me," Jack said, lifting his tumbler and taking another sip.

Taking a deep breath, Sam began. "So hypothetically speaking, say all of SG-1 was at your house..."

"You mean like you are at least once a month when Daniel isn't off forming the Oma Desala fan club?" Jack interrupted with a smirk.

"Shush," Sam ordered. "I'm the one with the hypothetical scenario right now." Jack's eyebrows climbed nearly to his hairline. _Did Samantha Carter just_ order _him to shut up?_

Jack cocked his head to one side and made a motion for Sam to continue.

"So," Sam said, continuing her scenario. "We're at your house and we're celebrating something."

"My birthday?" Jack interrupted.

"No."

" _Your_ birthday?" he said, trying again.

" _Sir_ ," Sam said exasperated. "Just let me talk, okay?" Jack made an exaggerated gesture of zipping his lips. He had noticed that she called him Sir again.

"Let's just say, _hypothetically,_ that we're celebrating a promotion of sorts."

" _My_ promotion? Jack asked incredulously.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe," she conceded. "Or perhaps mine." Jack was stunned. Sure, he'd had some casual conversations with General Hammond about perhaps taking over his position as head of Homeworld Security, but he hadn't said a word about it to anyone, least of all Sam. And as for Carter, she was already CO of SG-1. As far as Jack was concerned, it didn't get any better than that.

"The point is," Sam continued, purposefully not looking directly into her commanding officer's rather expressive eyes. "Is that we are at your house, hanging out on your back deck with a couple of beers."

"Sounds like a nice night." Jack was trying to keep the conversation casual, but was totally aware of Sam's anxiety and for the life of him, could not figure out why.

"It is," Sam said softly, picking up her drink and giving it another swirl. For a moment, she lost herself in the warm amber of the liquid as it shimmered against the walls of the glass. Abruptly, she took a large sip, set the glass down with a loud clunk and then turned her body so she was completely facing Jack. Expressive eyes be damned.

"Carter, you're kind of freaking me out here."

"Sorry, Sir," Sam replied automatically, and then grimaced. She had really hoped to leave 'sir' out of this conversation.

"What I'm trying to say is that we're at your house, it's in the future and for whatever reason, I don't report to you any longer." Jack's eyebrows climbed even higher as his heart skipped a beat. Was Sam really going there?

Trying to keep it casual (and yet knowing that Sam would see through him) Jack replied with a simple, 'Okay' and waited patiently to see what she'd say next.

Sam had been filled with liquid courage as she started down this road, but now her confidence was fading. Was she really going to ask this?

 _Could_ she really ask this? Sam gave herself a mental shake.

Yep. She could.

"So we're at your house…" Sam repeated.

"On the back porch," Jack added.

"With a few beers," Sam continued.

"And there are no frat regs."

Sam bobbed her head up and down. "No frat regs," she confirmed. Her eyes darted briefly to Jack's and then down to her drink again.

"Carter…" Jack didn't want to rush her, but come on! He was literally on the seat of his stool here waiting to hear what she said next.

Taking a deep breath, Sam decided to rip off the proverbial Band-Aid and just say it.

"What would you do," Sam began, "if I, I mean, if hypothetically-speaking, we were standing side by side…" Sam's voice trailed off. She wanted to ask. She _needed_ to ask, but it was the _how_ to ask that was eluding her.

Jack noticed her extreme anxiety. It was so unlike her that he momentarily forgot what she was (trying) to say and reached out to put his hand over hers, giving it a supportive squeeze.

Sam smiled and bobbed her head slightly before squeezing his hand in return and then releasing it. She then picked up her drink, downed the nearly full ounce of warm bravery and turned to squarely face Jack.

"What would you do if I hypothetically leaned over and kissed you?" Sam said in a rush, her eyes never leaving Jack's own.

Jack's eyes immediately darkened. "What would I do if you hypothetically kissed me?" he repeated. _Was she kidding?!_

"Yes," Sam said with a firm nod.

"Oh, I'd kiss you back!" Jack replied immediately with a cat-ate-the-canary smile. "Er...I mean _hypothetically,_ of course. If we were on my back porch, alone, with no frat regs. I'd totally kiss you."

"Really?"

"You had doubts?"

"Well…" Sam ducked her head in embarrassment as heat radiated across her face.

Jack chuckled. "Carter, I don't think _anyone,_ least of all you and I, should have any doubts that if we were _allowed_ to kiss we would definitely give it a go." Sam smiled.

"I supposed not," she admitted with a smile.

Before Jack could say anything more, Mick was calling out last call. Jack looked at his watch.

"Crap!" Jack exclaimed. "I had no idea it was so late. I'll go find Mick and have him order us a couple of cabs."

Sam nodded, feeling light-headed as she stood, not entirely sure if the feeling was due to alcohol or the rather startling (albeit not entirely unsurprising) revelation. "Definitely time to head home." She was proud of Jack for suggesting _cabs,_ plural. A lot had been shared in the last few hours. She needed time to process. Not that anything could actually happen anytime soon, but still… It was awfully nice to know that after all these years, Jack was still attracted to her.

Their rides came all too quickly and Jack helped Sam put her coat on and walked her to her vehicle.

"Give me a call when you get home, okay?" he asked seriously, opening the back door for her. If he didn't think it was blatantly over protective, he would have suggested he share a cab with Carter back to her house and then continue, in the opposite direction back to his. He couldn't help it. She was his Carter and he wanted to keep her safe.

"I promise," Sam replied softly. She gave Jack a serene smile, feeling very glad that she had found the courage to find out once and for all how he felt.

Jack was just about to close the door when he suddenly leaned down and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her ear. Sam gasped slightly at the touch and was thankful her light jacket hid the goosebumps. Damn if that man didn't affect her something fierce. Jack leaned closer, his breath tickling the delicate hairs on the back of Sam's neck. He was so close, Sam could smell the heady scent of whiskey, beer and Jack O'Neill on his breath. He smelled so good, it made her head spin.

"Carter?" Jack whispered, "About that hypothetical of yours?"

"Yes?" Sam replied breathlessly.

"I'd use tongue."


	4. Chapter 4

**Quick note** : I apologize profusely for taking nearly two weeks to update. Really good reasons that you could care less about. Lol. I promise to post the remaining two chapter in quick concession (already written, so it'll happen). In fact, I really shouldn't post this one yet, as I'm still waiting on edits from my amazing beta, but I've gotten quite a few FF IM's asking for an update, and I totally caved. I'm certain I'll be tweaking with edits in the next 24 hours, so you'll just have to read it twice. Ha! I really like this chapter. It totally didn't go in the direction I had originally imagined, but I think it's better.

* * *

The following three and half weeks passed in the proverbial blink of an eye. There was Jacob Carter's memorial service, Anubis' defeat, Daniel's return from the dead (again), and a bizarre 3,000-year-old video recording that could only mean time travel for SG-1 (again). Usually when SG-1 saved the world, there was a BBQ at Jack's, this time they stepped it up with a weekend at Jack's cabin. Sure, there were still some Goa'uld remaining, but the major troublemakers were now gone. It felt like some extra special celebrating (not to mention much needed down time) was in order and all four original members of SG-1 agreed. Much to the amazement of two of those members.

"So, you'll go, really?" Daniel asked Sam for the third time as they sat down for breakfast in the commissary.

Sam laughed. "Yes, Daniel. I said I'd go, and I'll go." Daniel looked unconvinced.

"You'll go, with us, to Jack's cabin."

"Yes," Sam repeated, scooping up a bite of blue jello. Daniel continued to look at Sam skeptically. Something was going on with her. He felt like a dog with a bone, unable to let it go.

"To Jack's cabin."

"What about my cabin?" Jack O'Neill asked, startling his teammates. He sat down next to Daniel, across from Sam.

"Daniel keeps asking if I'm going to the cabin, Sir," Sam explained. Jack took a moment to look directly at Sam, content to see the clear resolution in her eyes. Cool.

"She's going," Jack declared definitively, as he poured milk on his Fruit Loops. After a nearly 2-year hiatus from the sugary cereal, he had started eating it again about a week ago. Seeing Sam across from him, _while_ he was shoveling it into his mouth brought back nice memories.

Daniel looked back and forth between his two friends. They both appeared relaxed and comfortable in one another's company. It was weird. He contemplated the change for several long moments.

"I don't get it," Daniel said finally, in a tone of voice that left little doubt that he was really _trying_ to understand something.

"Don't get what, Daniel?" Jack tried to sound clueless, but truth was, he kinda understood Daniel's confusion. Sam's attendance at the cabin was rather monumental.

"You." Daniel pointed his spoon at Jack. "And you." This time the spoon was pointed at Sam. Daniel had been corporeal for five days now, and while he didn't appear to have the amnesia that followed his de-scension this time around, it was blazingly obvious that something had changed between his two closest friends.

"Everything is a conspiracy theory with you, isn't it, Daniel?" Jack grumbled. "Can't a guy simply get together with his friends at his cabin?"

"Actually, _I'm_ not the one who jumps at conspiracy theories, and _you're…"_ Daniel swung his spoon back towards Jack, "not answering my question."

"Nothing is going on, Daniel," Sam said soothingly, placing her hand on Daniel's arm and lowering his fork. "I just thought it might be nice to get away, and the General's offer for all of us to go to his cabin seemed like a great idea."

"But it's _Jack's_ cabin," Daniel emphasized. The cabin that Sam had most purposefully avoided going to for nearly eight years. Daniel knew of at least three separate invitations that Sam had turned down. He had a feeling that there had probably been more. Contrary to public opinion, he wasn't that naïve. At least not when it came to Jack and Sam. He knew why Jack asked, and also why Sam felt the need to say no.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Carter, are you sure we're not in another time loop? Because I distinctly remember hearing those exact words just a few minutes ago."

"Fine," Daniel said, plunking his spoon into his half-eaten bowl of oatmeal and standing up. "Don't tell me." He walked away mumbling about finding Teal'c and seeing is _he_ knows what's going on.

Sam looked down at her half-eaten yogurt and sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't go, Sir…"

Oh no she doesn't. "Carter, don't let Daniel get to you. He's just cranky from descending naked." Jack smirked. "Again."

"Maybe." Sam didn't sound convinced, and Jack cursed Daniel for ruining her good mood. Because she had been in a good mood. For several days now. And Jack really wanted to think at least some of that was due to him. Due to their conversation. The one in the bar. The one with hypotheticals. And boy howdy, had Jack been thinking about that _a lot._ He knew he'd been particularly evil with his parting words, but he also knew they had been received in the manner in which they had been said. It might have been inappropriate given their current working relationship, but it sure as hell wasn't given their personal one. They were, _finally_ in the same place and Jack was determined to find a way for them to move forward. He most certainly did not want another Shanahan coming along.

There was a lot more Jack wanted to say, and although all of it was completely innocent in this particular instance, he knew Sam might not see it that way. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel more uncomfortable. So, he did what he does best and changed the subject.

"I've been thinking about that recording a bit more," Jack said casually.

"You mean the one from Egypt?"

"Yep." Jack took another bite of his cereal. "Do you really think we went back to the past, _didn't_ change a thing, but it was still us? I mean _us,_ the us from our universe, and not one of those crazy alternative places where I'm usually dead or frozen." He didn't add 'or married to you.' Sam, he was sure, was acutely aware of that little tidbit.

Sam opened her mouth to answer, but Jack quickly interjected in a falsetto voice, "and no saying 'it's theoretically possible, sir.'"

Sam chuckled. "You know me pretty well, Sir." Her eyes softened as she took in the amazing man sitting across from her. If she had had any doubts that Jack O'Neill wasn't the one for her, it had been soundly squelched during her father's memorial. Even without them being together, he had been there for her in so many ways. He stood behind her during the service, placing a hand gently on her back just before she was about to lose it. It grounded her. Allowed her to keep it together. He knew when to give her space, when to rescue her from well-meaning relatives and when to just silently hand her a bottle of beer and give her a reassuring glance. She might not have always eaten the little plates of food he kept placing in her vicinity, but she loved the fact that he tried.

Sam sighed. Love. That was the problem, wasn't it?

"Carter, you have that look again…" Jack began. "The one that usually ends with you brooding in your lab for days on end."

"I do not brood."

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, really?"

Before Sam could answer, the klaxons blared announcing an unscheduled activation. Another day at the SGC.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

Much to everyone's surprise, the weekend at Jack's cabin had not been fraught with awkwardness or unresolved sexual tension (although there were a few notable exceptions). Both Daniel and Teal'c hadn't been surprised to hear that Sam had broken off her engagement with Pete, although they _were_ surprised to discover that Jack already knew about it. It had been fascinating to watch Jack's general air of casual acceptance of the news. For a brief moment, Daniel had wondered if Sam's relationship with Pete had simply severed the love between his two closest friends, but much to his relief (and continued vexation), it hadn't. In fact, if anything, it seemed like Sam and Jack were content with the status quo. Content in both their professional and personal lives. They were just so casual around one another. Friendly. Which continued to freak Daniel out. It just wasn't their normal modus operandi.

There were two notable exceptions to Jack and Sam's casual aplomb. The first Daniel was sure was done intentionally, which in itself was quite a surprise. Sam had come out to "fish" one afternoon wearing a big floppy hat, dark sunglasses, and a bikini top over some rather short shorts. Even Daniel, who thought of Sam as a sister, had to admit that she looked hot. Long toned legs, flat midriff, and pale freckled skin wrapped in feminine curves. He refused to do more than glance at her breasts (which were appropriately covered, but left very little to the imagination). He always had been aware that Sam had a nice figure, but seeing her in a bikini top and shorts made Daniel realize that there were definitely different degrees of 'nice'. He almost pitied Jack.

As for Sam, she had casually walked in front of her commanding officer, grabbed a cold beer from the cooler (bending from the knees demurely so as not to give anyone an eyeful) and then nonchalantly sat down in an empty arm chair with the latest edition of Physics Today. Because of the sunglasses, Daniel couldn't actually tell if she was reading it or not, but he had a suspicion she was not. As for Jack, he didn't even attempt to mask his blatant (and appreciative) stare. If Jack had been a cartoon character, his tongue would have rolled out of his mouth and half way across the dock. Daniel knew Jack had it bad when he sighed audibly and muttered a quiet 'not playing fair', before setting his half-finished beer on the deck. He then reached into the cooler for a cold new one and placed it, unopened, directly below his belt line, on top of his shorts before continuing to stare unabashedly at one Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter. When Daniel gave his friend a blatant, 'Jack!' in an attempt to stop him from objectifying their teammate, Jack had simply answered, 'She started it' and continued to stare.

At the end of the deck, most assuredly not reading her magazine, Sam Carter smiled. It was most decidedly not Sam-like.

The second time, it was definitely an accident. Or at least the end-result appeared to be an accident. Daniel had a strong suspicion that Teal'c might have been involved as he had really taken a shining to pranks. Teal'c had gone into town (ostensibly for more beer, but really it was just an excuse to escape the mosquitoes), leaving Jack to shower and Sam and Daniel to drink coffee on the dock in the early morning sunshine. The scientists had been outside about 15 minutes when a damp and slightly flustered Jack O'Neill darted outside wearing nothing but a small blue towel tied tightly across his waist. Sam stopped in mid-sentence and stared unabashedly, as Jack walked briskly across the lawn and angrily grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt hanging from a clothing line. No one said a word, but Daniel watched in fascination as Sam's eyes instantly darkened, causing her normally cornflower blue irises to nearly disappear. It was unconscious and automatic and there wasn't a damn thing Sam could do about it except stare, obviously enamored with Jack's physique. Daniel would have laughed, but as he didn't fancy being pushed into the pond, he kept his comments to himself.

The rest of the weekend passed uneventfully, and the four friends spent many hours drinking beer, playing poker (with Sam taking extra shots to keep it fair), sharing gossip, and generally reminiscing about past missions. They even discussed the future a bit, something none of them had done much before. Yet the discussion seemed inevitable; all four recognized that things were changing. Teal'c admitted that he was considering returning to Dakara, and all three of his teammates encouraged him to do so. Of course, they would miss him, but there was much that needed to be done to ensure the stability of the new Jaffa Nation. No one represented the free Jaffa better than Teal'c. Daniel of course wanted to go to Atlantis once it was deemed safe (by Jack) for him to do so. As for Sam, she actually mused out loud whether or not she wanted to continue to command SG-1. This of course caused quite a stir among her teammates. She downplayed the whole thing by assuring all the men present that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, but she did admit to wondering if this might not be a good time to try something new. That's how she phrased it, 'try something new'. Sam most definitely was not looking at Jack O'Neill when she said this.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

It was less than 2 weeks later that Jack surprised the trio at breakfast with another invitation to his house for another BBQ.

"Jack, didn't we just do that?"

"Have a BBQ at my place? Why no Daniel, we did not."

"I mean," Daniel began once again waving his spoon about, "have a team get-together?"

"What?" Jack replied innocently. "Can't a guy invite his friends over for a BBQ without needing a reason?" Three pairs of eyes looked at him skeptically.

"Geeze, tough crowd," Jack mumbled grumpily, snagging an uneaten bagel from Daniel's tray.

"Sir, does this have anything to do with your trip to Washington DC earlier this week?" Sam looked at her CO inquisitively. He had been uncharacteristically silent about why he was heading to DC.

Jack dipped his head slightly to escape Sam's gaze and chuckled silently to himself. Leave it to Carter to try and put the pieces together.

"Right!" Daniel agreed, nodding enthusiastically. He often got like this when he was problem solving. "You haven't told us why you went to DC." He looked at Jack expectantly.

"Daniel, contrary to popular belief, I _don't_ actually share everything I do with you."

"Well no, not the boring military stuff," Daniel conceded. "But the important SGC stuff? Yeah Jack, you kinda do."

Jack hmphed. "Well, this had to do with boring military stuff."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Not"

"Daniel." Jack shot him a hard stare and Daniel lifted both hands in the universal 'I give up' pose and stopped arguing.

"What time would you like us, Sir?" Sam finally asked, verbally stepping in between her two friends.

"1900, and you don't need to bring a thing," Jack said jovially. "The steaks are already marinating, and I've even gotten a couple bagged salads to appease Carter's fondness for vegetables." Sam rolled her eyes which only caused Jack to smirk.

Jack was just reaching out to snag some cream cheese to go with his bagel when the water glasses on their table began wobble. Jack looked at Sam.

"Carter…" he began. "What are the science guys on Level 19 working on again?"

Sam gave her CO an apologetic look. "An attempt to create naquadah-enhanced force fields." Jack's eyebrows shot up and he cocked his head slightly, almost daring Sam to deny the probable cause for the explosion.

Before Sam could say anything more, the intercom flared to life, announcing that Colonel Carter was needed on Level 19. Both Sam and Jack immediately stood up and headed to the doorway. Daniel watched them go with a knowing shake of the head and reached into his pocket.

"$20 says it was Bill's fault," Daniel declared, slapping a $20-dollar bill on the table.

"I believe it will be Dr. Felger who will be found responsible for the mishap," Teal'c countered. "$50." Deal made, the duo returned to breakfast and continued speculation about Jack's real reason for the BBQ.

* * *

TBC!

Well? Worth the wait? Please review and let me know what you liked.


	5. Chapter 5

**Note:** One day turn around. Boo yeah! I've gotta say that this was probably the most enjoyable chapter I've written since my Barista days. I _so_ enjoy getting Jack and Sam hot and bothered. Still respectable enough for teens (I think), but if you're not into delicious steamy shippiness, turn back now.

* * *

Jack O'Neill was not nervous. He knew this because 50-something year old generals do not get nervous. Certainly, not when about to tell his favorite team and best friends about his upcoming promotion. The promotion that would effectively break up their family, taking him 1,600 miles away.

Away from her.

But that was not the real reason for asking them here tonight. No. The real reason was that Jack needed to know what Sam thought about the _other_ reason he was taking the promotion. He needed to hear what she thought about his proposal.

Idea.

His idea.

Jack was thankfully pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of his team. First came Daniel and Teal'c, followed a few minutes later by Sam. Jack often wondered if Carter purposefully orchestrated her arrival so she wouldn't be alone with him.

Everyone was dressed for a casual night at his place, and the conversation flowed easily. After 7+ years of working in the field together, they worked seamlessly together. Daniel handing Sam a knife just as she needed one, Teal'c minding the steaks without being asked as Jack grabbed condiments and plates.

The team was working their way through several different pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, when Jack cleared his throat.

"I've kinda got some news."

"Knew it!" Daniel said, pumping a fist into the air. "Walter owes me $10."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Is there _nothing_ you guys don't bet on?" she asked incredulously.

"I seem to recall, Lt. Colonel Doctor Kill Joy," Daniel teased, "that your name is down for more than a couple of these bets."

"Well sure," Sam admitted, feeling her face flush in embarrassment. "But they're the obvious kind! Like how many times a month I'll get called to fix the stargate, or the due date of one of Colonel Dixon's kids.."

"As amusing as all of this is," Jack interrupted with a knowing smirk. "I do need to tell you guys some things."

"By all means, Jack," Daniel insisted. "Please share away."

"I went to DC for a reason," Jack began. He glared at Daniel, daring him to try and interrupt again. Daniel pantomimed zipping his lips and then reached for his beer.

"Hammond is wanting to retire and…" Several voices interrupted him.

"Is General Hammond okay, Sir?"

"Why?"

"Has Hammond taken ill?"

Jack held up his hand and the trio immediately stopped talking.

"Hammond is fine, he just wants to retire to spend more time with the grandkids." Jack looked at his friends, wondering what they would say to his next words. "They want me to take his place."

"In DC?" Daniel confirmed. Jack nodded at Daniel, but his eyes sought out Sam's. She was starting resolutely at her beer label.

"It would be a promotion," Jack added. "Major General. Two stars."

Teal'c gave a respectful nod. "It would be a great honor, O'Neill."

"Wow, Jack," Daniel said, obviously impressed. "That really is a big deal. Congratulations."

"See?" Jack teased his friend. "I told you it had to do with 'boring military stuff."

"In addition to important SGC stuff," Daniel countered.

Jack spent the next 10 minutes talking with Daniel and Teal'c about the position. Sam asked one or two questions, but for the most part, was quiet. Jack watched as she picked up her beer for what seemed like the ten thousandth time and downed the rest of the beverage before abruptly standing up.

"I need another," Sam declared, heading to the kitchen. She grabbed another bottle from the refrigerator, but instead of heading back to the living room, opened the screen door and headed out to the deck. Jack looked lost, his eyes darting back and forth between Daniel and Teal'c and the retreating figure of his 2IC.

"Go," Daniel said softly. "I think you guys should talk."

Jack went.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

Jack also grabbed a fresh beer and headed outside. Sam heard the door open, and knew who it was without looking. It could have been Daniel, but she just knew it had to be Jack. Sam closed her eyes in resignation. She hardly ever called him 'general' in her head anymore.

The silence was heavy, as they stood several feet away from one another in the fading light.

"So," Jack said finally, tossing his bottle cap adroitly into a potted plant at the edge of his deck and taking a few steps closer. Against her will, Sam bit back a smile as she heard the slight tinging noise the cap made as it hit another small metallic object. The poor plant was probably peppered with bottle caps.

"So…we seem to find ourselves on my deck," Jack began.

"Déjà vu." Sam tried not to think of the last time she had approached Jack's deck.

"I don't think we'll be interrupted this time," Jack said quietly, determined not to say Kerry's name out loud.

"Probably not," Sam conceded. "Although I wouldn't put it past the guys to be spying on us from the kitchen." Jack immediately swiveled his head to check. Nope. At least not yet.

The silence was uncomfortable. "So, promotion, huh?" Sam glanced quickly at Jack, before returning her attention to the label of her beer.

"Yep," Jack replied, taking another step closer to Sam. As much as he wanted to stand by her side right now, he recognized that she needed some space. He could give that to her.

"See, the thing is…" Jack paused, trying to work out exactly where to start. "There are a lot of logistics involved in moving to a new command."

"I imagine so," Sam replied with a quiet sigh, sipping her beer as she patiently waited to see what Jack would say next.

"Apparently," Jack continued uncomfortably, "I'll need to resign my commission at the SGC as a 1-star before accepting a new billing as a 2-star in DC."

"That makes sense," Sam acknowledged with a small nod. She really needed space and time to process all of this, and having Jack O'Neill stand next to her was just not helping. It wasn't that Jack wasn't the best qualified for the position, it was just that the thought of not seeing him every day felt like a crushing weight inside her chest. It hurt to breathe. Sam felt her eyes tear up and angrily told herself to stop.

Jack pretended not to notice. "I'll be given two weeks to pack my things, figure out what to do about my house, stuff like that." He risked a glance at Sam, his heart tightening at the immense sadness in her eyes. He hated seeing her sad. He needed her to start seeing the larger picture here. He really wanted to touch her face, but reached out instead to brush his fingers gently across her exposed wrist. Sam looked up, startled.

"After I leave the SGC," Jack continued. "For two weeks, I'll be without a posting. You won't report to me." Sam sucked in a quick breath at the news, her eyes widening. For a moment, Jack saw joy flitter across her face, before it immediately disappeared.

"It wouldn't change anything," Sam reminded him. "Two weeks after that, you'll be in charge of everything again." She paused and then looked at him for the first time since their conversation began "Including the SGC."

Jack nodded. "This is true," he admitted. "But there's more to it than that." Confusion danced across Sam's face as she turned away from his expressive eyes. _What more could there possibly be?_

"It seems, Carter…" Jack began as he took another step closer to her. "That there are options."

"Options, Sir?" Sam was confused.

"You have impressed the hell out of the geeks at Area 51, and they would like you to head the R & D division." Sam's head jerked up and she turned back to face Jack.

"They want me to what..?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Lead Research and Development at Groom Lake."

Sam's mind was reeling. "Seriously?"

Jack chuckled at the shocked look on Sam's face. "Ah, come on Carter," Jack cajoled. "You are, without a doubt, the foremost scientific mind when it comes to all things Stargate. You can't honestly believe there's someone more qualified than you to keep the geeks in check with all the alien tech we discover."

Sam blushed. Well, when he said it like that…

"Now normally," Jack continued, picking up his beer and taking a long drink. "Air Force officers don't really have much of a say in where they are stationed." Sam nodded in agreement. "But as you might have noticed, we're not exactly the run of the mill AF grunts."

Sam chuckled. "No, not really."

"Which means, the powers that be would like to give you the choice. You can stay at the SGC and continue to lead SG-1…"

"Or…" Sam prompted. There was no way there wasn't an 'or' here.

"Or, you can take the post at Area 51."

"Wow," Sam said, exhaling audibly and picking up her own beer. "That's quite a choice."

"Pros and cons for both, I'm sure," Jack stated, taking another swig of his beer.

"Yep." Sam's brain was working furiously, even as she bantered with Jack. There had to be more here, otherwise, why not give her the news at the SGC? Or even in front of Daniel and Teal'c?

"One interesting pro," Jack began. "At least _I_ think it's a pro, god knows it's an interesting one…" Sam was shocked to realize that Jack was babbling. Jack _never_ babbled.

"Ah hell," Jack grumbled, putting his beer down and turning to face Sam. "If you take the gig at Groom Lake, you will be reporting directly to Colonel Franklin."

Sam didn't know why Jack thought this was an item of note. "Who reports to the head of Homeworld, right?"

"Actually, he reports to a civilian doc, another physicist, by the name of Mark Adler." Sam's eyes went wide again.

" _Colonel_ Adler?" Sam had studied under Mark at the Academy.

"Retired," Jack clarified. Sam felt her head spin and gripped the deck railing tightly in an attempt to ground herself. She took a deep breath and turned back toward Jack, who was looking at her expectantly.

"Let me get this straight," Sam began. "If I were to take the Area 51 assignment, I would report directly to a military officer, who in turn would report to a civilian one?" She wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"A civilian one who happens to be former military, so he knows the big picture. Mark would report to me. We thought it might be helpful to have another level of scientific oversight."

Sam continued to look confused. "That isn't the way it's supposed to work."

Jack chuckled. "Well, it certainly wasn't the way it _used_ to work _,"_ Jack began, "but seeing as how they really wanted me to work for HWS, I had a little say in the structure, and I thought it could be helpful to have another person help summarize and prioritize all the various geeky things coming from multiple sources and locations." Jack could see that Sam had just about figured it out.

Sam's mind was reeling. If what Jack was telling her was true, she not only wouldn't be reporting directly to him anymore but there'd be two additional levels of structure between them. Two!

They stood side by side for several long moments before Jack broke the silence.

"So," he began, nudging Sam gently on the shoulder. " _Hypothetically_ speaking…" Sam grinned. A full 100-watt grin that lit up her face like a super nova.

Sam picked up Jack's trail of thought. "So hypothetically speaking…"

"We're at my house," Jack supplied.

"On the back porch," Sam continued to smile, her eyes dancing in the low light.

"With a few beers." Jack raised his bottle. Sam did the same.

"And there are no frat regs." Sam paused as she realized that the frat regs still existed. The smile slowly melted off her face.

Jack immediately recognized her concern and knew what to do. "So, in 18 days," Jack continued smoothly.

"Two weeks and four days," Sam added with a small smile.

"We're back here."

"Exactly like we are now."

"And there are absolutely no frat regs between us," Jack declared triumphantly.

"And I lean over and kiss you," Sam declared boldly, giving Jack that smile that he was certain was for him alone.

"And I _so_ kiss you back." Jack looked at Sam with increasing desire. His fingers twitched with the need to touch her face.

"With tongue, if I recall." Sam tried to sound nonchalant, but the notion of Jack's tongue touching her was doing wonderfully wicked things to her insides.

"Oh, most definitely." Jack's eyes grew dark as he fixated on her lips. He really, really wished he could kiss her now. Judging by the look on Sam's face, she was thinking the same thing.

"I'd reciprocate, you know," Sam teased.

"With tongue?"

"Oh yeah." Sam licked her lips, causing Jack to groan in remorse.

Sam chuckled. "Sorry," she said apologetically. "That wasn't on purpose."

"S'okay."

"This is, though," Sam said with a gleam in her eye. Jack's eyebrows shot up so fast, Sam thought they might leave a mark.

"If you kissed me," Sam continued. "I'd probably make a noise."

Jack sucked in a breath. Evil woman! "What kind of noise?" Jack's voice was low and husky. They were playing a dangerous game, but neither could stop.

"Not sure," Sam replied, licking her lips again. Slowly. Purposefully. A needy sound escaped Jack. God, she needed to stop doing that.

"Might be a sigh, could be a moan."

Jack closed his eyes as he imagined the sound. "I'd really like to hear you moan," he rasped looking at Sam as if he wanted to devour her right here. The coil of desire that had been swirling around Sam's stomach bloomed into full on arousal. Teasing Jack O'Neill might not have been the best idea, but she wasn't going to stop now.

"During the kiss," Sam whispered, her eyes never leaving Jack's, "I would touch your hair." She had fantasized about running her hands up Jack's neck and through his hair for what seemed like years. She wondered if it was soft. She wondered if he would like it.

Jack stepped closer. "Sam," he rasped, "if you started making noises and ran your hands through my neck and hair, I'd have to touch you." Jack pantomimed touching Sam's hips and butt.

Sam's eyebrows shot up, and she chuckled, providing a much needed reprieve. "My ass, Sir? Really?" Jack gave her an apologetic shrug.

"What can I say, Carter? I'm just an ordinary guy and your six.." Jack glanced quickly as the aforementioned body part before darting back to her face, which was pinking up deliciously with the scrutiny. "It has been my honor and pleasure to watch your backside these part eight years."

"So you'd just touch it, huh?" Sam teased.

"I'd do more than that," Jack countered, his voice strained again with the imagery of what could happen next.

"My hands would cover that amazing butt of yours, and I'd pull you close." The thought of feeling Sam against him, and not being able to do anything about it _now,_ was nearly unbearable. Sam let out a little gasp, as she imagined what it would feel like to feel all of Jack O'Neill against her. The feeling was intense.

"Oh," she whispered hoarsely, closing her eyes as she imagined the scene, her own body growing hot and slick with desire. Her skin tingled as she felt a warm flush spread across her entire body. She wondered if it was possible to have an orgasm through words alone. "There'd definitely be an audible moan after that."

"Oh yeah," Jack agreed in a gravelly voice, as he fought to control the roar of blood rushing through his ears and rapidly increasing erection. Fuck. They really needed to stop this. Sam was breathing shallowly beside him. Panting really. It was taking all of Jack's self-control not to reach over and kiss her senseless. He longed to touch her. It had to be his imagination, but good god, he could swear he could smell her.

It was Sam of course that pulled them back from the brink. She had always known (thought, hoped) that there was a wild masculinity within Jack O'Neill, and dear god, she could see that right now. But she knew him. Knew this wonderful, attractive, _sexual_ man next to her. And she knew he needed for her to be the strong one now, because judging by the predatory look on his face and the visible (and impressive) bulge in his pants, Jack was moments away from pouncing.

And holy hannah, how she ached for him to do so.

But they couldn't. Not yet. They waited this long, they could fucking well wait another 18 days.

432 hours.

25,920 minutes.

Math. It always helped. Sam exhaled audibly, feeling a bit more in control. She took a small step to her left, away from Jack O'Neill and his radiating lust. She picked up her beer and touched the cool bottle to her forehead, giving Jack a sad smile.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Good idea." He also took a step away, this time to his right. He picked up his beer and placed it directly on his crotch. Sam giggled.

"I know I've mentioned the no giggling rule, Colonel," Jack groused, eyes twinkling. His words held little bite.

Sam opened her mouth to speak, but it was Daniel's voice that echoed across the deck.

"Jack!" Daniel called from the kitchen. "Do you have any marshmallows?"

"Marshmallows?" Jack mouthed, tension breaking as he looked at Sam in confusion.

"Jack!" Daniel said again, poking his head out of the glass door that separated the kitchen from the back yard. "Marshmallows? Teal'c wants a s'more." Daniel eyed Jack and Sam curiously. They were standing a fair distance apart, but seemed… _off_. It was hard to see in the dim light, and Daniel moved to come forward when Sam stepped towards him.

"I'll help you find them." Daniel looked at her curiously, but shrugged.

"Okay." He turned and headed back inside.

Sam turned back towards Jack, wiping her damp palms on her jeans as she took a deep breath. The cool air helped. "I thought perhaps I could take this one, Sir." Sam's eyes danced with merriment as she boldly stared at Jack's obvious erection. Jack growled in frustration.

"One day, Samantha Carter," he drawled, his eyes still dark with intense attraction, "I'm going to really enjoy wiping that smirk off your face."

Sam's own eyes darkened with pleasure. "I look forward to it, Sir."

With a jaunty sway to her hips, Sam headed back inside.

* * *

I leave you all to your shit-eating grins and need for a cool beverage.

Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this story! You comments are totally appreciated and very much encourage me to write more. Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes:** I totally suck for keeping you all hanging for nearly two weeks. I'm so sorry! It was 90% written for ages, but I had a heck of a time tying everything together. HUGE thank you to Flatkatsi for all her help. If it's any consolation at all, I made this extra long.

* * *

Previously on Hypothetical

 _Sam turned back towards Jack, wiping her damp palms on her jeans as she took a deep breath. The cool air helped. "I thought perhaps I could take this one, Sir." Sam's eyes danced with merriment as she boldly stared at Jack's obvious erection. Jack growled in frustration._

 _"One day, Samantha Carter," he drawled, his eyes still dark with intense attraction, "I'm going to really enjoy wiping that smirk off your face."_

 _Sam's own eyes darkened with pleasure. "I look forward to it, Sir."_

 _With a jaunty sway to her hips, Sam headed back inside._

 **Chapter 6**

Jack woke up with one hell of a hangover and a raging hard on. He slammed his pillow over his face and groaned at the unfairness of it all. In another few weeks, it really wouldn't have made a difference, but Fate had decided it would be fun to move all the pieces around in order to place temptation right in front of his nose. He and Sam had taken flirting and sexual innuendo so far from the edge of appropriateness last night, and it was going to be hell to dial it back down. Jack really need to stop thinking about his favorite Lt. Colonel.

Naked.

It was bad. In a really good, but really, _really_ bad way. He needed to get himself together. He was the commanding officer to the most top secret base in the world for crying out loud! It was just not seemly to be acting like a love-struck teenager. Suck it up, Airman!

It also wasn't fair to Carter. Sam. He and Sam might be holding on to the frat rules by the barest of threads, but they were still (mostly) there. It would not do either of their careers or reputations any good to slip up now. They waited this long, they could wait a couple of more weeks.

After a cold shower and a hot coffee, Jack felt better. He was glad to see he had arrived before Sam and Daniel and decided to forgo breakfast in the officer mess, asking Walter to just grab him a Danish and coffee. It seemed rather prudent to keep a little distance between he and Carter today. Not that Jack couldn't control himself, but it had only been 12 hours since he and Sam completely fell off the cliff of military appropriateness.

He still recalled her words. His words.

Jack groaned as inappropriate images flashed through his mind. This is exactly what he couldn't do. No thinking about Samantha Carter!

Thankfully, the universe decided to give him a break, and Jack found his morning filled with SG mission briefings, personnel evaluations and requisition requests. In less time than he would have thought, Jack easily shifted into General-mode and began the business of running the most secretive base on the planet.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

Sam Carter woke with a smile, the remnants of a really good dream slowly fading away. Sure, things were changing between she and Jack, and Sam wasn't naïve enough to think there wouldn't be challenges ahead, but for the first time in years _,_ she allowed herself to think about a possible future with Jack O'Neill. She believed the two of them were actually on the same page, both ready to move forward and try having a relationship together.

Or at least mind-blowing sex.

Sam laughed out loud and shook her head in embarrassment. She didn't doubt that the sex would be amazing, but really, she wanted the full Jack O'Neill package. She was pretty sure Jack did too. Now all they needed to do was maintain their usual professional relationship for the next couple of weeks. To quote the General, piece of cake! Sam glanced at her alarm clock, pleased to see that he was up a good 30 minutes early. This afforded her an extra-long shower and time to stop at her favorite coffee shop before work.

Sam was humming softly to herself as she said good morning to the entrance guard and signed in. The elevator doors had just opened when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Sam, wait up!"

Daniel.

Sam pressed the 'hold' button and waited for him to quickly sign in and sprint towards her.

"Daniel, you didn't need to run," Sam chided her friend good-naturedly.

He gave her a half-smile and shrugged as he caught his breath. He looked up at Sam, surprised to see that she looked particularly well rested. And...content?

"You woke up early today."

Sam wrinkled her brow in confusion. "Why would you think that?"

Daniel chuckled. "Sam, you're dressed nicely, with the "good" make-up, and you're holding a cup of Victor's coffee!" He eyed her coffee longingly. It had been a long night.

"'Good' make-up?" Sam repeated with a laugh, silently handing her steaming coffee over to her friend.

"I think you might need this more than me this morning."

"Thanks, Sam." Daniel sighed happily in fresh roasted bean bliss as he took a large sip before handing the cup back to Sam.

"Yes, good make-up," Daniel confirmed, picking up the conversation again. "You have two kinds of make-up," he explained as the elevator descended. "Usually you have this minimalist thing going on." Daniel gestured near her face with his left hand in a counter clockwise circle. "Just enough to look presentable if you're pulled over on the way to work."

Sam didn't know if she should object to 'presentable' or 'pulled over'. She decided on the former as everyone knew that Sam liked to drive fast and had received more than a few speeding tickets.

"So, _presentable_ , huh?" The elevator silently stopped on Level 25 and both exited.

"You know what I mean," Daniel continued, nudging her shoulder slightly. "Just a little eye stuff. Maybe some lipstick? You usually do a little bit more once you're at work and changed."

"And today?"

"Today, it looks like you woke up in a good mood and took some time with your appearance."

Days like today, Sam really wished Daniel wasn't so damn observant.

"Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No, of course not," Daniel assured her. "It's just a little unexpected." He gave her an apologetic shrug. "You've kinda had a rough couple of weeks, Sam," he said gently.

Sam nodded. "The weekend at the General's cabin helped."

"As did the BBQ at his house?" Daniel was totally fishing for more information. He knew something important had happened between Jack and Sam, he just wasn't entirely sure what it was yet.

"Lots of changes," Sam said finally as she stopped in front of the women's locker room. "Meet you in the Commissary in 30 minutes? I need to quickly check on an experiment first."

Daniel nodded. "Sure." Maybe he could get some more information out of her at breakfast.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

The morning had passed quickly. Jack was diligently working his way through a request for larger display monitors, when a sharp knock on the door, caused him to look up. He was not all that surprised to see his favorite rock hound standing in his doorway. Daniel frequently dropped by his office at odd times, and often for no particular reason, but the look on his face today, made Jack think he might be missing something.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Daniel tried not to sound as angry as he felt. It wasn't as if he asked Jack for help all that often.

"Er…Maybe?" Jack tried to keep his expression neutral.

Daniel shook his head in resignation. "Last week, remember? You promised you'd meet with me on Monday to go over my department requests."

Shit. He had.

"Sorry, Daniel," Jack said contritely. "I really did forget." He motioned towards his rather full in-box. "I've been buried deep in all sorts of other things this morning and our meeting didn't quite make it to my calendar."

"You have a calendar?" Daniel momentarily forgot his anger at Jack's forgetfulness. It felt like he was witnessing an anthropological cultural leap: Jack O'Neill becoming an administrator.

Jack looked at his friend oddly. _Of course,_ he had a calendar!

"That's ok," Daniel continued. "How about I ask Walter to put something on your calendar for next week?"

"That'd be great, Danny. Thanks." Jack gave his friend a lopsided smile and then turned back to his desk.

"Make it up to me by having lunch with us?"

There was no question as to who 'us' would be. SG-1. Daniel, Teal'c…

And Sam.

"I'd love to Daniel," Jack began, glancing at the pile of papers in front of him, "but…"

Daniel gave a slight nod and then reached behind himself and closed the door.

Jack was confused. "Daniel?"

Daniel walked a few paces forward and sat down in an empty chair near Jack's desk.

"What's going on, Jack?"

"Nothing is going on," Jack cursed his friend's insightfulness. Sure, it had save his life on more than one occasion, but right now, he really needed Daniel to just go.

"Does this have anything to do with you and S.."

"Daniel," Jack barked harshly, shooting his friend a hard look. He then exhaled in a loud woosh and shook his head. In a gentler voice, he continued, "Just leave it, okay?"

Daniel looked at Jack critically and then gave a short nod. He'd give Jack his space.

For now.

"I'll see you later, Jack." Giving his friend one last look, Daniel quietly opened the door and walked out.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

Jack's self-imposed isolation lasted exactly 7 hours and 32 minutes.

After reading a report about a cultural misunderstanding between SG-13 and the inhabitants of P2X-492, Jack recognized that he needed a break. It was only after he selected the button for Level 19 that he realized he was heading to Sam's office. Jack closed his eyes briefly in resignation and sighed. He could visit Daniel instead on Level 18, but he knew it just wasn't going to work to try and avoid Carter for the next two plus weeks. Best to go see her now and gauge how easy or hard this might be.

Jack had just rounded the corridor that lead to Sam's lab, when he saw a brief flash of light and heard an electric zap.

"Ouch!" Jack recognized the voice and increased his pace. He entered Sam's lab to find her sitting on a lap stool sucking her right index finger.

"Having fun with your science experiments again, Carter?" Jack asked, as he stepped into her lab.

"Yes, Sir." Sam gave him a lopsided smile, as she removed her digit and examined it for burn marks.

"You okay?" He knew it wasn't serious, but he couldn't help but ask. Jack told himself he would have asked anyone under his command the same question. Just showing general concern for the health and well-being of his staff.

"I'm fine, Sir." Sam shook her head slightly as she took in the damage caused by the small explosion. "Too bad I can't say the same thing about my experiment."

"Seems to me like this is a perfect place to take a break," Jack said casually, leaning against the door frame.

Sam considered the request, glancing between her experiment and CO. "Actually, Sir…"

"Ah-ah! I'm hungry, Carter. And in desperate need of caffeine. 1400 is the perfect time for some cake and coffee."

Sam cocked her head slightly and smiled. "Cake, Sir?"

"All right, _you_ can have blue Jello, but _I'm_ having cake." He could tell that Sam was tempted.

"Really Sir, I should stay and finish this experiment." As much as Sam actually could use a break and definitely enjoyed her CO's company, seeing him in her lab was causing all sorts of inappropriate emotions and endorphins to surge in her body. It would probably be for the best to just give themselves a little extra space today.

Jack couldn't read everything that crossed his former 2IC's face, but he had some idea why she might be hesitating. It was going to be a very long 16 days indeed if they couldn't find a way to just be normal around once another. Jack mocked himself internally as he realized Sam was doing exactly what he had been: keeping his distance.

It was kinda silly.

"Ah, come on, Carter!" he cajoled. "I thought we could grab Daniel on 18 and Teal'c from 21 where he's just wrapping up a training exercise."

Jack could tell the inclusion of their team mates was a good one. "So," she said finally. "team break?"

"Team break," Jack agreed with a nod.

"Well in that case, Sir," Sam said with a smile, "how can I refuse?"

Jack returned the smile. See? They could do this. The next 16 days were going to be a snap.

*******************sg1sg1sg1sg1sg1****************

The next week passed by quickly. SG-1 had two successful missions and Jack was busy finalizing base reviews and working on his transition plan. After another day of slight awkwardness around Sam, the two had quickly returned to their usual working relationship, both pleased at how easy it was. Jack was happy to realize that he was no more concerned than usual when SG-1 was slightly late for a scheduled check-in (ion radiation interference), and if he gave Sam just an extra half second of his attention after SG-1 returned home dripping wet and covered in mud, well, he probably would have done that before, too. The only difference this time, was that it annoyed him when he noticed he wasn't the only one who appreciated Carter all wet and muddy. He wanted to say something, but didn't think Sam would appreciate it.

The next week, Jack had to fly to D.C. for two days, one of those days overlapping with SG-1 being off-world. None of them were even aware that Walter had slowly started gathering boxes and was beginning to pack up the General's office.

Things really began to feel real after Jack returned from D.C. escorting one Major General Hank Landry. There would be an official ceremony and then celebration on his last day, but it was important to Jack that he had an opportunity to personally introduce Hank to the senior officers and personnel on the base. He also wanted to give Hank the opportunity to gawk and ask him questions. It might be common place for him now, but Jack remembered (albeit barely) what it was like seeing the Stargate for the first time.

Jack introduced Hank to Colonel Reynolds, his new 2IC and left the two alone to give them a chance to get to know one another. Reynolds was going to remain the base's second in command under Hank. Jack remembered his own 2IC discussion after taking over command from General Hammond. Jack had originally expected Sam to continue in her capacity as his 2IC, but it was George who had politely (but firmly) reminded him that as capable as Sam was, she was only a major. Protocol dictated that one needed to be a colonel to hold such a position. Jack smiled at the memory. Idly, he wondered how long it would be before Sam's next promotion. He knew she'd only recently made Lt. Colonel, but the way Sam's career was progressing, Jack had no doubt she'd make General before 50. His smile grew larger as he spied a familiar trio in the back corner of the mess.

"Hiya kids," he said casually, surprising his former team. Sam looked up and gave Jack one of her 100-watt smiles that never failed to put him in a good mood.

"Jack!" Daniel exclaimed. "We didn't expect you back until tomorrow."

Jack shrugged. "I met up with Hank, that is General Landry, and we decided to fly back early." Fact was, Jack couldn't wait to get home. In a little more than 72 hours, he'd no longer be commander of the SGC and he wanted to enjoy his remaining time. For a moment, a wave of nostalgia rolled over him and he wondered if he had made the right decision. He knew Hank was a good man. A good leader. But the SGC was more than just a base to him, and leaving it was not going to be easy. Still, there were some _awfully_ nice perks to look forward too. He purposefully did not glance at Sam.

Jack pulled up a chair and sat down, stealing one of Daniel's fries.

"Geeze, Jack," Daniel whined, "you could get your own food, ya know."

"What's the fun in that?" Jack said with a smirk, taking a second fry.

"Why don't you take something from Teal'c or Sam?" Jack looked at Daniel as if he had grown two heads. Sam tried to hide her smile as Teal'c raised an eyebrow.

"You forgetting something, Danny?" Jack teased his friend. "Maybe there are still some memories you haven't gotten back yet…"

Daniel creased his eyebrows in thought. Why was everyone looking at him strangely?

Sam took pity on her friend. "Our second year, Daniel, remember? We had just returned from P7J-989…"

"The garden planet with the wacky 'Keeper'…" Jack added.

"Oh!" Daniel exclaimed as the memory kicked in. He looked at Teal'c. "We returned from the mission famished and headed down here to eat and…"

"And O'Neill attempted to partake in sustenance that did not belong to him."

"It was just a roll, Teal'c." Teal'c gave his friend a serious look.

"It was _my_ food, O'Neill," Teal'c replied dryly.

"And you immediately pulled Jack out of his chair and had him pinned to the ground with his arm behind his back within moments," Daniel recalled with a laugh.

"He caught me off guard," Jack groused. "Obviously, if we were in the field and someone I didn't know tried that, he wouldn't have succeeded."

"Of course," Daniel agreed in a mocking voice. Sam held her hand firmly over her mouth to hold back her giggles.

Jack gave both of them his 'death glare'. "Hey! Be nice to me! I'm only here for another 3 days."

Those words immediately sobered the group.

"When will you be leaving for D.C. permanently, Sir?" Sam asked. Her face gave no indication that his departure meant significant changes for both of them.

"I'll have a little over two weeks before my first day at the head of Homeworld. I plan on spending at least a week here in Colorado packing up. Might take longer. We'll see." All three SG-1 members regarded their friend somberly. It wouldn't be the same after he was gone.

"Which reminds me," Jack said, trying to change the mood. "There's the official send off for me at O'Malley's…"

"I still can't believe they're letting us back," Sam said with a chuckle.

"Well, it has been several years," Daniel said diplomatically. He still couldn't he had been involved in a bar brawl. Or that he had won!

"I think the kicker was the change in ownership," Jack added with a grin. "Just be on your best behavior if you see anyone who looks familiar." Everyone assured him they would.

"But after O'Malley's," Jack continued, "I thought it might be fun to head back to my place for a few. Drinks. Stars. Campfire…"

"One last evening with the team, Jack?" Daniel asked.

"Will there be s'mores, O'Neill?"

Jack nodded. "Of course, Teal'c." Teal'c bowed his head to show that he'd come.

Jack looked at Daniel, and he too nodded. He turned to Sam to see what she thought of the idea. Jack had no idea at all if she would think this was a good idea or a bad one.

Sam smiled. "Well, as long as there are s'mores, Sir, count me in."

TBC

* * *

 **Notes:** What started as a 'simple' 3-part story, is now looking like it'll take 8 chapters to complete. I didn't mean for this chapter to be so bloody long. But I just couldn't take the easy way out and just say "Three Weeks Later". The stage is now set. Jack is indeed gonna leave the SGC and head to Homeworld next chapter. (previously posted as 'retire' - thanks for the catch kahuna) Hmm. Wonder what'll happen then? cue evil laughter. Please let me know if you're still enjoying!


End file.
